Murray v Stakhovsky

Sheddie · administrator

RE: Murray v Stakhovsky

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

0-15: Double fault

0-30: Powerful forehand into the corner from S, M gets it back into mid-court and then S wrong-foots Murray with another big forehand into the same corner. Murray gets it but his slice lands in the net

0-40: S smashes a 2nd serve cross-court with his forehand. Andy scrambles to his right and retrieves it but S is up the court, takes the backhand early and hits it for a cross-court winner

Game: Big serve for Murray leading to a short return but he is indecisive on the backhand and sends it long and wide.

6-3, 6-2, 3-3

Sheddie · administrator

Stakhovsky serving:

15-0: Murray drop shot is too heavy and it's not short enough. S hits it for a cross-court winner

30-0: Murray is going for far too many drop shots at the moment, he nets this attempt

40-0: 2nd serve ace down the T, it lands right on the line

Game: Murray's forehand is long and Stakhovsky has won 8 points in a row

6-3, 6-2, 3-4

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

15-0

30-0

40-0: Andy hits a dropshot which is excellent and moves up the court anticipating the short return from S and then hits a backhand lob winner

Game: Big serve and S's return is into the net

6-3, 6-2, 4-4

Sheddie · administrator

Stakhovsky serving:

15-0: Big serve, Murray return is into the net

30-0: Ace down the T

40-0: Big serve down the T and Andy can't control the return

Game: Another big serve and Murray returns into the net again

The last 4 games have all been won to love !

Sheddie · administrator

Murray holds for 5-5, he's serving to stay in the set and is feeling the pressure which shows with some sloppy shots making the score 30-30. However, S failed to capitalise with two groundstrokes into the net. Just as against Rusedski on Friday, S loses his nerve at the crucial moment

Didn't see any of the next game apart from the break point which Andy has on 30-40. S hits a dropshot and moves in, Murray gets it back and also moves it. They exchange 3 or 4 volleys before Murray's quicker hands enable him to flick a backhand volley over S for a winner

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving for the match:

15-0

15-15: S returns down the line and moves into the net. A defensive lob goes up from Murray but S puts away an easy smash

15-30: Murray hits a dropshot but perhaps as a sign of the tension it is far too heavy and S hits it down the line for a winner

15-40: Double fault

30-40

Deuce: Big serve and S's return goes wide

Ad Murray: They exchange big cross-court forehands and S nets

GSM: Stakhovsky's backhand floats wide and Britain remain in Euro-African zone 1 !!!!

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I can't help feeling a bit sorry for Stakhovsky - he fought like a tiger but even though Andy was not playing at his best, he just couldn't break the wall down. The match was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests.

Andy - too many dropshots

and terrible first serve %

(I don't know what it actually was, I haven't seen any statistics, but just watching the match it looked pretty low)

Still, job done, Andy, on to Bangkok (where I fear you will need to play more convincingly than that). But I'm pretty sure he will, he never seems at his best against lower opposition.